By Justin Spinnie
A new Connection and Intervention Station – or CIS – opened in Lewiston in July.
“It’s something that I think will benefit the community as a whole,” Program Manager of the Lewiston CIS Katie Morris said.
The new CIS is part of a collaboration between GEO Reentry Services and the Idaho Department of Corrections.
“It’s a great resource for our office,” District Manager for District Two Probation and Parole Summer Overberg said.
The CIS works with people based the request of their parole and probation officers.
“Our officers are looking at individuals who have high needs, likely are maybe struggling, and they need help getting back on track and avoid a parole violation or probation violation,” Overberg said.
GEO Reentry services opened four stations in Idaho in December. Now, with the addition of Lewiston and two other stations, they are in all seven districts.
“It shows that IDOC has a desire to want to make a change and to ensure that those on probation are successfully completing and they’re having a meaningful part in their communities,” Statewide Manager for GEO Reentry Services Evette Navedo said.
“It’s really refreshing to focus on the participant as a person and being able to help facilitate the change for that individual…helping create community safety by encouraging pro-social behavior and being productive members of society.”
Kate Morris, Program Manager, Lewiston CIS
The surface level goal is to reduce the recidivism or re-offense rate, but for those involved, it’s more than that. It’s about those in the program finding their own success.
“It’s really refreshing to focus on the participant as a person and being able to help facilitate the change for that individual and being able to spend that time with that person, and in that, helping create community safety by encouraging pro-social behavior and being productive members of society,” Morris said.
The program is fluid to serve needs for different participants, so it’s a personalized experience to try and achieve that success.
“We do a lot of assessments and getting to know our participant in their first phase, and so, we’re really tailoring our program to what they need,” Morris said.
“It’s very fulfilling to just be a part of that and understand that it’s on a daily basis we have opportunities to make an impact on people’s lives,” Navedo said.